Possible link between dementia and hearing

July 22, 2008 3:30:00 PM PDT

There may be a new link between dementia and hearing. According to a new study, people who have trouble hearing sounds in a room of competing noises are more likely to suffer from mild memory impairment.

The hearing disorder is called central auditory processing dysfunction.

Seattle researchers began sampling over 300 80-year-olds in 1994. Those with mild memory impairment and those who had been diagnosed with dementia scored significantly lower in specially-designed hearing tests.